Simon's New Bed

May 11, 2015
Simon the dog has a brand-new bed, and he’s stoked to take “the best nap of his life.” Then he discovers that the family’s Siamese cat, Miss Adora Belle, has already claimed the bed. Readers will sense from the sly one-eyed gaze she shoots at Simon that her actions are as much about pulling Simon’s chain as they are about getting enough shut-eye. To his credit, sweet-natured Simon never even considers violence, although he does bark and attempt to dislodge the cat by dragging the bed around the house and yard. Newcomer van der Paardt chronicles this two-character comedy of wills in digital drawings that turn the red dog bed into a visual punctuation mark and a taunting object of desire. Trimmer, a children’s book editor making his debut, will almost certainly tap into feelings of “I’ve been there myself” in many of his readers: when you’re clearly within your rights and no one is around to intervene, how do you deal with someone whose sense of entitlement is intractable? The solution, it seems, is a literal application of the phrase “strange bedfellows.” Ages 4–8.

May 1, 2015
A huge, tan dog named Simon learns to share his new dog bed with the family cat. From the very first page of the book, even prior to the title page, Simon considers his big, red bed a perfect present. But when the dog returns from a walk, he finds his bed has been taken over by the family's sly Siamese cat, Miss Adora Belle. Simon tries several methods to evict the cat, including polite requests, howling, barking, and dragging the bed through the house and yard. He even tries to dislodge Adora Belle by perching on her special purple pillow. Simon finally decides to share his bed with the cat, concluding that "sometimes... / you have to pick your battles." That expression may need explanation for younger readers, along with Simon's habit of "rehydrating" by drinking out of the toilet. The story is quietly humorous as it tracks Simon's tenacious attempts to solve his problem, but his capitulation to the cat's stoic territorial occupation falls a little flat, as readers have no idea what other battles the dog and cat may have encountered. Digitally rendered illustrations in a moody palette of grays and blues are set off by the bright red bed, and the dog's increasing frustration is conveyed by his sad face and sagging posture. Miss Adora Belle is sneaky rather than adorable, although both animals seem contented with their shared nap on the final pages. Accepting what can't be changed is a lesson everyone has to learn, even big, boisterous dogs (and presumably young readers, as well). (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Simon the dog is looking forward to hunkering down in his new spiffy red bed for the "best nap of his life." Much to his chagrin, he discovers that the family's Siamese cat, Miss Adora Belle, has already staked her claim. Simon tries several tactics to restore proper order, including howling, barking, and begging-all to no avail. Wistfully, he acknowledges, "Sometimes you have to pick your battles" and snuggles in beside his feline nemesis. The hound's hangdog expressions are humorously captured in van der Paardt's digital cartoon illustrations, from his furrowed, contemplative brows, to his dolefully draped paws. VERDICT Readers with multiple pets or siblings will easily relate to the territorial disputes and applaud Simon's capacity for sharing.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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